Evidence for Gradients of Human Genetic Diversity Within and Among Continents
Open accessAbstract
Genetic variation in humans is sometimes described as being discontinuous among continents or among groups of individuals, and by some this has been interpreted as genetic support for “races.” A recent study in which >350 microsatellites were studied in a global sample of humans showed that they could be grouped according to their continental origin, and this was widely interpreted as evidence for a discrete distribution of human genetic diversity. Here, we investigate how study design can influence such conclusions. Our results show that when individuals are sampled homogeneously from around the globe, the pattern seen is one of gradients of allele frequencies that extend over the entire world, rather than discrete clusters. Therefore, there is no reason to assume that major genetic discontinuities exist between different continents or “races.”
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The genetic differences within our species are very small and do not follow the dividing-lines between the traditional races.
“The genetic differences within our species are very small and do not follow the dividing-lines between the traditional races (Jablonski and Chaplin 2000;Serre and Pääbo 2004;Templeton 2013;Yudell et al. 2016).”
From Anthroposophy and Racism (2025) · cites this paper as Serre and Pääbo 2004
While some species can be divided into biological races or subspecies, Homo sapiens is not one of them.
“While some species can be divided into biological races or subspecies, Homo sapiens is not one of them.”
From Anthroposophy and Racism (2025) · cites this paper as Serre and Pääbo 2004
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“The genetic differences within our species are very small and do not follow the dividing - lines between the traditional races (Jablonski and Chaplin 2000; Serre and Pääbo 2004; Templeton 2013; Yudell et al. 2016).”
- Authors
- Serre, D., & Pääbo, S.
- Affiliations
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Serre, David
- Venue
- Genome Research
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Published
- 2004-09
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1679-1685
- ISSN
- 1088-9051 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC515312
- OpenAlex
- W2106002960
- Cited by
- 436
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 11
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Genome Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- National Eye Institute
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Race, Genetics, and Society
- Keywords
- human genetic variation, microsatellite markers, genetic discontinuity, concept of race, study design bias
- MeSH terms
- DNA, Ethnicity, Gene Frequency, Genetics, Population, Genotype, Geography, Humans, Polymorphism, Genetic, Genetic Variation, Racial Groups
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